


We Met At Work

by Humansunshine



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe: Mundane, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Meet-Cute, past clizzy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2019-11-28 20:30:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18213245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: Luke Garroway had never had much faith in 'fate' as a concept. But with the way he keeps stumbling into Maryse Lightwood's life, he might have to rethink that.





	1. Maryse The Internet Lady

**Author's Note:**

> I was on the phone for two hours with customer services when I had WiFi installed this week, and it inspired this fic. I feel like this might be four chapters, but we'll see! Chapter 2 is about halfway done, no idea when it'll be posted.
> 
> (I know it makes no sense that HBIC Maryse Lightwood would work in a call centre but it's explained in Chapter 2)

Luke hadn’t even wanted to get WiFi in the first place. His two kids, Simon and Clary, had been begging him to get it for years. Simon had moved out a few months back, into dorms at NYU, and he kept talking about how great it was to have broadband, no need for an ethernet cable. Clary offered to pay for it, and then Luke’s boss at the precinct told him that he’d need it if he wanted to work from home, considering the police database was now online. So, begrudgingly, he’d agreed. And now look at him.

He’d been onto the damn internet company for two hours now, and they were still no closer to figuring out what the problem was. Luke made it a point to never be rude to retail workers or call centre advisors, but ‘Maryse’ was driving him crazy.

“Please confirm that you have the microfilter plugged into the router.” 

“I already did,” Luke told her, scrubbing his hand down his face. “Twice. It’s definitely on there, I’m not completely incompetent.” 

“I’m only trying to help you, Mr Garroway.” 

“I know,” Luke sighed, “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that that damn script of yours is getting on my nerves.” 

There was a pause, and Luke almost thought that Maryse was finally going to deviate, to offer him some sincerity. 

“There’s a process we have to follow, Mr Garroway.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Right, right. Sorry. I know it’s not your fault, but damn. What happened to letting workers use their own brains, huh? It must be so dehumanising having to just-”

“Sir, please check that the internet light on the top of your router.” 

“It’s still red,” Luke told her, glaring at the damn thing. “Can’t you just send someone out?”

“I’m very sorry, Sir, but I’m going to have to ask you to unscrew the bottom half of the port from the wall. This will enable us to check the test socket.” 

“You want me to unscrew something from the wall?” Luke repeated. Didn’t they usually employ engineers to do this shit?

“Yes, Sir. Do you have a screwdriver?”

“Of course I have a-” Luke stopped, tipping his head back. He loaned his toolkit to Simon so that he could put up some IKEA furniture a few weeks ago. “Dammit. I don’t have one here.”

“You don’t have a screwdriver?” For the first time, Maryse spoke with a tiny bit of incredulity, but it was quickly smoothed over by a delicate cough. 

“I do have a screwdriver,” Luke explained, “but my son has it. I’m gonna have to call him.” He hesitated. “Can you, like, hold?”

“I can, Mr Garroway, yes, but I need a response from you at least every two minutes so that I don’t get disconnected by the system.”

“Who made that rule?” Luke scoffed, but shook his head. “Alright, I’ll talk to you in less than two minutes.” 

He’d never dialled Simon’s number so fast in his life. “Hey Pops, what’s up?” Simon asked, sounding way too relaxed in comparison to the way Luke was practically vibrating with agitation. 

“I need my screwdriver back. Can you bring it over?” 

“Sure, I was gonna come over for dinner any-”

“No, I mean now. Like, right now. I need it for the internet.” Luke insisted.

“Right…” Simon didn’t sound convinced. “It’s not a flatpack router, Dad, you just plug it in.”

“I know, but it’s not working,” Luke said pointedly, “I’m on the phone to the internet lady and she said I need to take the front of the port.” 

“Why don’t they just send an engineer?” 

“That’s what I said, but apparently we have to do this first,” Luke sighed, “so can you come or not?” 

“Yeah, of course, I’ll leave right now. Be there in fifteen.” 

“Thanks, kid. Love you.” Once he’d hung up he quickly went back to the other line. “Hello? Are you still there?” He asked, his heart racing. He was getting way too worked up over this internet thing.

“Yes, Mr Garroway, I’m still here.” Maryse told him, “have you got the screwdriver?”

“No, my son has it. He’ll be here in fifteen minutes.” Luke told her.

“I see. We’ll just wait for him, then.” 

“If we have to say something every two minutes to stay connected, what are we going to do?” Luke asked, “pretty sure there’s nothing in the script for this.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Maryse muttered, which made Luke laugh. She cleared her throat again. “We’ll just chat, Mr Garroway. How’s the weather where you are?” 

Luke looked out the window, the beginnings of a smile on his face now that he knew that Maryse was in fact a human being. “It’s sunny, but cold. Typical springtime in New York.”

“Yes, it was freezing this morning,” Maryse replied. 

“You’re in New York too?” Luke asked, and Maryse hesitated.

“Not necessarily.” She sounded a little panicked, and Luke rose his eyebrows. What, was there a gun to her head or something? “We have call centres across the country.”

“Right…”

Maryse sighed, the sound barely audible. “You know, I’d ask how things are there at Internet HQ, but it sounds like you’d get fired for breathing wrong.”

There was, perhaps, a breath of air that made Luke think that Maryse had suppressed a laugh at that. “It’s going great here. We were just voted best broadband by our customers, with over-”

“Maryse,” Luke insisted, “you don’t have to sell it to me, I’m already a customer, remember?” 

“Right you are, Mr Garroway.” 

“So what’s next on your scripted small talk, Maryse?” Luke asked, smirking as he sat down on the couch. Maybe he could see the funny side in this, after all. It sounded like Maryse was around his age, and just about as aware of the ridiculousness of all this as he was. She also sounded pretty, but Luke wasn’t sure what exactly pretty sounded like. 

“Is this your first time having internet at home?” Maryse asked.

“Yes,” Luke answered, “my kids have been pestering me for months. Years, actually.” 

“How old?” Maryse replied, and Luke quirked an eyebrow. He was ninety percent sure that wasn’t on the script.

“Eighteen and twenty. They’re adopted, they were my partner’s kids. Well, technically Simon was adopted by my partner, and then when she died I adopted him, along with Clary, who was my partner’s biological child.” Luke explained, “but she’s dead now.”

Smooth.

Luke bit back a groan. “It happened a while ago, sorry, I’ve sort of…”

“It’s fine, Mr Greymark.” Maryse assured him. 

“Do you have kids? Wait, you’re probably not allowed to answer that, are you?” 

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy our broadband, once you get used to it,” Maryse said, avoiding the subject. “You’ll be able to get a range of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify…”

“I’m not much of a TV fan,” Luke admitted, “though I do like a good action movie. Mostly so I can laugh at all the inaccuracies. I’m a cop.” 

“I can imagine that is quite amusing, Mr Garroway,” Maryse sounded like she was smiling, which made Luke smile too.

“Yeah, the Tom Cruise ones are always spectacularly wrong-”

“Hey, Dad, I’m here!” Simon called, bursting through the front door. Luke cleared his throat and got up from the couch.

“I have the screwdriver,” Luke told Maryse, taking it from Simon with a grateful smile. “I’m just taking off the bottom panel, right?” 

“Yes, Mr Garroway.” 

“Let me put you on speaker,” Luke muttered, putting his phone down on the ground as he sat down to unscrew the port. 

“So why do you need to unscrew the port?” Simon asked, peering over Luke’s shoulder.

“We believe that there is a problem with the line,” Maryse answered before Luke could grumble.

“Why don’t you just get an engineer out here?” 

“That’s what I said,” Luke sighed, “but there’s a-”

“Our policy states that we have to run through all the troubleshooting strategies before calling an engineer to the property.” Maryse explained.

Simon shrugged. “I guess. Seems like a lot of effort, though.”

“Mmmm,” Luke agreed, putting the second screw on the table and uncovering the test socket. “So you want me to plug it into this hidden socket?”

“That’s right, Mr Garroway, and then do a system reset again.”

“I’ve reset it at least four times,” Luke said, grabbing the pin from the table. 

“It’s part of the-”

“Process,” Luke finished, nodding, “yeah, I know.”

“How long have you been on the phone?” Simon asked, and Luke glanced up at the clock. 

“Two and a half hours.”

“If this doesn’t work, Mr Garroway, I assure you we’ll send out an engineer. Thank you for your patience.” Maryse volunteered, and Luke huffed.

“Right, alright, the damn thing’s reset.” Luke told her.

“Let’s just wait for a couple of minutes for the lights to come back on, and please tell me if the internet light is red or green.” 

“Yeah, yeah, Maryse, I know the drill,” Luke sighed. 

“It’ll be worth it when it’s working,” Simon shrugged, “you only have to do all this once, and then you have internet forever.” 

“Thank God,” Luke chuckled, “I swear this has aged me at least five years.”

“Hopefully this’ll work,” Maryse said, and Luke thought he heard a little bit of weariness in her voice. Maybe she was just as bored of this as he was.

“Yo, the internet light is green!” Simon pointed at the router, and Luke let out the biggest sigh of relief when he turned his head to see that, indeed, the internet light was finally green. 

“Yes!” Luke punched the air. “Finally!”

Maryse chuckled. “I take it that that last reboot was successful.”

“Yes, it was.” Luke confirmed.

“Let me check on my phone,” Simon pulled out his iPhone, squatting down to get the password. After a couple of tense moments, Simon grinned and turned his phone to show Luke a video of a cat playing in the YouTube app. “We have WiFi!”

“It’s all working?” Maryse asked.

“Yes, finally. Thanks for your help, Maryse.” Luke said, picking up the phone once more. “Do I just leave it in that test socket now?” 

“For now, yes. We’ll send you a new socket front; what must have happened is there’s a fault in the port itself. Replacing the front should work.” 

“And I don’t suppose you’re going to send out an engineer to install it, are you?” 

“It’s not regular protocol to, no.” Maryse admitted, “but since you’ve been so patient, I’m sure I can-”

“I was kidding,” Luke assured her, “I don’t want to wait in all morning for someone to come, I’m sure I can figure it out.”

“Excellent,” Maryse replied, “is there anything else I can help you with, Mr Garroway?” 

Luke looked around the living room, at the scattered bits of plastic and wires. “Nope, I think that’s everything.” 

“Okay,” Maryse confirmed, “well have a good day, Mr Garroway, and don’t get hesitate to get back in touch if there are any more p-”

“Don’t even say it, I don’t want to jinx it,” Luke insisted, and Maryse laughed.

“Bye now, Mr Garroway.”

“Bye, Maryse.” 

As he hung up the phone, Simon gave him a suspicious look. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Luke asked, tossing his cellphone onto the couch. 

“Your voice went all soft and weird. Were you crushing on the internet lady?” 

“It’s called customer rapport,” Luke insisted, “we were on the phone for two hours.”

“She sounded hot.” Simon shrugged.

Luke didn’t disagree, but he wasn’t about to say that to his nineteen year old son. “What did we say about calling women hot?” 

“To not,” Simon answered automatically.

“That’s right.” Luke scoffed, “now where’s the rest of my toolkit?”

“You said you only wanted the screwdriver!”


	2. Detective Garroway

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come down there?” Alec asked, “I can rearrange this hearing.”

“No, sweetie, I’m fine,” Maryse insisted, walking into the police station. “I’m just going to file a report, nothing traumatic. It’s just a car.”

Alec sighed. “If you’re sure.”

“I am. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” Maryse promised, “good luck in court.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you.” 

“Love you too, baby,” Maryse sighed. She went to put her phone back into her purse before realising that her purse had been in the car, which had just been stolen. It was the cherry on top of the cake; she’d had maybe the worst year of her life and this was just what she needed right before Christmas. 

“How can I help you, Ma’am?” The officer at the front desk asked. 

“My name is Maryse Lightwood. My car was stolen a couple of blocks away, when I went into the pharmacy to pick up a prescription,” Maryse explained. 

“Alright, I’ll have a detective come and take a statement. Please take a seat, Mrs Lightwood.”

“Thanks,” Maryse sat down on the end seat, as far away from a rough-looking couple as possible. They were arguing in hushed tones, their Brooklyn accents so thick she could barely understand them. 

She looked at her phone, about to call work to tell them that she couldn’t make it in when it vibrated with a call from Robert. Biting back a groan, she stared at it for a moment. She took a deep breath and put on her call centre voice. 

“Yes?”

“Maryse, I heard your car was stolen. Would you like me to send a replacement?”

 

“No,” Maryse answered, “I’m fine.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” Maryse said lightly, and hung up. She swallowed hard, and rubbed at her forehead. Of course he’d offer to send a new car, anything to try and make up for the fact that she’d found him intertwined with his 19 year old intern four months before. Maryse shuddered at the memory, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. 

“Mrs Lightwood?”

Maryse opened her eyes to see the detective standing in the doorway of the waiting room. For a moment, she thought there was something familiar about him, but shrugged it off. Perhaps he’d worked on one of Alec’s cases. She stood and smoothed down her skirt, following the detective through the bullpen to his desk.

“My name’s Detective Luke Garroway, I’ll be looking after your case.” The officer said, and Maryse was once again struck with the thought that she knew him from somewhere. “So you said your car was stolen?”

 

“Yes,”Maryse answered, “it was a black sedan.”

“License plate?” Detective Garroway asked.

Maryse rattled it off, and the detective jotted it down. “What are the odds of me getting it back?”

“I’m going to be honest with you, Mrs Lightwood,” Detective Garroway sighed, “we almost never recover stolen cars. Especially older models like yours.” 

“Great,” Maryse whispered, putting her head in her hands. 

“We’ll try our best,” Detective Garroway promised, “but you may want to get in touch with your insurance company.”

“I can’t,” Maryse said quietly, shoving her hands between her knees. “It’s in my ex husband’s name.” 

Detective Garroway nodded sympathetically. “I see. And he won’t allow you to access the payout?” 

“Oh, he’d pay for a new car straight off the bat,” Maryse scoffed, “but I don’t want anything from that…” She took a deep breath. “Sorry.” 

“It’s alright, take your time,” Detective Garroway soothed, “I’ve been doing this job long enough to know that men can be bastards.”

Maryse giggled, sniffing back tears as they sprung to her eyes. “Oh my God, I can’t believe this. I’ve had… The worst year. And now here I am, blubbering to some stranger...” 

Detective Garroway handed her a box of tissues. “And I’m sure you’ve coped with it all brilliantly. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back, huh?” 

Maryse nodded, dabbing at her eyes. 

“I get it. When my partner died, I was in such a state. I flipped a pancake wrong, and I just burst into tears. It was a mess, my daughter was completely confused.” 

The mental image made Maryse laugh despite herself. “My kids have been almost too supportive. All of a sudden it’s like I’ve become the baby and they’re looking after me. My eldest son, Alec, he works in the DA’s office, and he tried to convince me to move in with him and his fiance. He meant well, but God, it was so humiliating.” 

Detective Garroway hummed in agreement. “I know Alec, he’s a good kid.” 

“You do?” Maryse asked.

“I do, well… In passing. He’s worked on some of the same cases as me.” He told her. “So what do you do?” It was obvious that he was trying to distract her from the fact that her car was gone.

“At the moment, again, humiliatingly, I work in a call centre.” Maryse sighed, sniffing. 

“Nothing wrong with that,” Detective Garroway shrugged.

“There is when you’re a qualified lawyer.” Maryse said softly. “When I left my ex-husband I also left his firm, and I just… I can’t face going around the city begging for a job from the people I worked so hard to beat for the last twenty years.” 

Detective Garroway listened intently. “I can understand that. But I’m sure something will come up. There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it, you came to us, didn’t you? Would’ve been pretty crazy to try and hunt your stolen car down by yourself, wouldn’t it?” 

“Well, as far as I remember I’ve never beaten you in a courtroom.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have, at some point.” Detective Garroway chuckled.

Maryse looked at him, assessing. “I think I’d remember you if I had.” 

That made Detective Garroway’s lips part in surprise, and Maryse smiled, ducking her head. “Uh, where do you work? I’ll have one of the boys drop you off, since you don’t have your car.”

“Internet Plus, in East Manhattan.” Maryse answered, and the Detective’s eyes widened.

“I knew I recognised your voice.” Detective Garroway said, “we spoke on the phone the other day. I was the guy without a screwdriver.”

“Oh my god, yes! I remember you, we were on the phone forever, your damn router wouldn’t sync.” Maryse laughed, and Detective Garroway nodded, smiling from ear to ear. 

“It’s still plugged into the test socket, I’m too scared to take it out.” 

Maryse giggled. “Well, I feel a little better about asking for your help with my car now that I know I’ve helped you.” 

“I’ll do everything I can to recover it, I promise.” Detective Garroway insisted, and Maryse nodded, reaching to pick up her purse.

“Is there any more information you need?” Maryse asked as she stood.

“Yes, actually, I need your number and address.” Detective Garroway told her, handing her the form to complete. “And I’ll get back to you with an update on your car in about a weeks’ time.” 

“I look forward to it,” Maryse replied sincerely, and the two of them held eye contact for a moment, smiles on their faces. 

“Right. Right, thanks for coming in, Ms Lightwood. I’ll radio one of the boys now for a lift.”

“Thank you, Detective Garroway.” Maryse had a feeling that giving the victim of a petty crime a lift to work was not in NYPD protocol, but Detective Garroway was sweet enough that she didn’t mind the special treatment. In fact, she was pretty sure that she felt a tiny spark between them, but she was a grown woman, and the time for flings with handsome detectives was decades behind her. 

That didn’t stop her from smiling at the memory of Detective Garroway offering her tissues a few times over the next couple of days.


	3. The Restaurant

Much to her disappointment, the phone call that Detective Garroway had promised Maryse came from the precinct secretary. They hadn’t been able to find the car, and Maryse wasn’t surprised in the slightest. It was probably scrapped by now, or the plates swapped. She’d managed to convince the insurance company to give her the payout for the car, so she could put a downpayment on a new one. It wasn’t the end of the world.

She’d been looking forward to hearing from Detective Garroway, though. Considering it as she ate her lunch, she felt silly. He’d been sweet to her, but he’d been on duty, and she was a crying woman. Of course he’d been sweet to her. How starved of affection she must have been, to develop a crush on the first man to speak kindly to her since the divorce. Maryse straightened her spine, and told herself that she needed to get her shit together. She was having dinner with Alec and Izzy tonight, she’d focus on that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“We finally decided on a date,” Alec told her and Izzy while they perused the menu later that day, “Save the date for September 18th.” He pulled two burgundy envelopes out of the inside pocket of his Armani suit, and handed one to each of the women. 

“That’s so exciting!” Maryse reached across the table to touch his cheek. “Oh, I can’t wait, baby, it’s going to be a beautiful day.” 

“Did Clary design these?” Izzy asked, her eyes on the invitation in her hand.

Alec and Maryse exchanged a pensive look. Izzy glanced up and caught them, and laughed nervously. Clary was like a sister to Magnus; he’d babysat her for over a decade, and now she was a graphic designer. It also just so happened that Izzy had dated Clary for a few months right after Alec and Magnus met.

“She did it as a favour to Magnus,” Alec told her, and Izzy nodded.

“Recognise her palette.” Izzy mumbled, clearing her throat and adjusting her napkin on her lap. 

“She’s very talented,” Maryse observed, rubbing Izzy’s shoulder. “So who’s going to cater, have you decided yet?” 

Alec launched into a story of he and Magnus’ journey to find a decent caterer, and Maryse and Izzy looked at each other, Maryse offering Izzy a comforting smile and a gentle squeeze to the shoulder. Izzy smiled back, but it looked a little sad. Maryse ached; she wanted so badly for Izzy to find a partner to love as deeply as Alec and Magnus did.

As she and Izzy tuned back into Alec’s monologue, Maryse swore she could feel someone looking at her. Her face flamed and she shifted in her seat. No doubt it was someone from the firm, or one of her old rivals, marvelling at the sight of her without her wedding ring on. She couldn’t resist looking around to see who it was. 

Her eyes locked with Detective Garroway, sitting across the room. 

He looked just as surprised as she felt, and for a moment they just stared at each other, both pairs of eyes wide. The detective, Luke, she remembered, dropped his eyes first, fiddling with a napkin between his fingers. 

“Mom?” Alec asked, “Mom?”

“Yes?” Maryse turned back to face Alec, swallowing hard. 

Alec and Izzy were both looking at her with suspicion. “Why were you staring at that cop?” 

“He’s a cop?” Izzy asked, “he looks familiar.”

“He helped me with the car the other day,” Maryse answered, looking pointedly at the menu. “I just wasn’t expecting to see him here, that’s all.”

“Aw, do you think he got stood up?” Izzy wondered out loud, looking over at him. “His wine is almost gone and there’s no jacket on the chair opposite him.”

“He’s definitely dressed for a date, he only ever wears ties to court.” Alec noted, and Maryse cursed her two kids for their annoyingly good observation skills. “We should ask him to join us.”

“What? Why?” Maryse blurted out.

Izzy smirked. “Because you clearly like him.”

“I’ve literally never seen you blush before in my life,” Alec added smugly. 

“I’m not blushing,” Maryse said, raising her fingers to her cheeks. 

“I’m asking him to come join us,” Alec insisted, getting up. Maryse grabbed his wrist, eyes wide. He met her gaze without hesitation. “Come on, Mom. Take a chance. He’s a good man.”

Maryse swallowed hard, and let go of her son’s arm. “Alright,” she whispered, fidgeting with the napkin on her lap. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Alec asked, and she nodded. She looked at Izzy for reassurance as Alec crossed the restaurant. 

“Don’t worry, me and Alec will keep it from being weird,” Izzy promised with a grin.

“This is the most ridiculous thing you and Alec have ever done,” Maryse muttered, clearing her throat primly and steadfastly refusing to look around to see if Luke had taken up Alec’s offer of company. 

“He said yes,” Alec told them, pulling up a spare chair for Luke to sit next to Maryse. 

“I hope I’m not intruding,” the Detective said as he sat down.

“Of course not,” Izzy assured him, “we noticed you were alone and we thought the more the merrier!” 

“Exactly,” Alec agreed. 

“It’s nice to see you again, Detective Garroway.” Maryse smiled.

“I’m off duty, you can just call me Luke,” he insisted, “and I’m sorry again about your car.” 

Maryse waved it away. “It’s fine, I sorted out the insurance. No harm done.” 

“Did you get a new car yet?” 

“Not yet,” Maryse answered, “Izzy’s taking me to look for one on the weekend.” 

Luke hummed, smiling up at the waiter, who’d come over to give him a menu. “That’s good.”

“How are things at the precinct?” Alec asked to fill the slightly awkward silence that descended on the table.

“Busy,” Luke admitted, “compiling evidence for the Bourneville case. Are you working that one?” 

“It’s all hands on deck, everyone is working it. I don’t imagine I’ll be in court, but I’m helping with the strategy for it.” Alec told him, and Luke nodded.

“Is this the Nigel Bourneville laundering case?” Maryse pressed, curiosity getting the best of her. Robert, her ex husband, was one of Bourneville’s lawyers. “I’m surprised they’re letting you anywhere near it, Alec.”

“Everyone in New York knows that me and Robert are not on speaking terms,” Alec shrugged, “if anything my boss recognises that I want to bring him down more than most.”

“Oh, of course,” Luke said softly, his eyes on Maryse, “Robert Lightwood is that asshole ex husband you were talking about.”

“The very one,” Maryse confirmed, taking a long sip of her wine. 

“Well, if it helps, you’re better off without him. You could do better.”

“She already is doing better,” Izzy shrugged, and both Maryse and Luke laughed nervously.

“Hey Mom, have you started applying to law firms yet? My boss keeps asking if you’re ready to get back in the game,” Alec asked, eager to change the subject and take the pressure off his Mom. 

Maryse looked surprised. “Oh, uh, no, I haven’t thought about it yet. I’ve just been sort of…” Her eyes flicked to Luke. “I’m taking some time off, find out what I really want.”

“That’s admirable,” Luke told her, “it would be so easy for you to just walk back into a courtroom and go back to how everything was before, but taking time for a break to assess yourself is really brave.”

There was sincerity etched in every inch of his face, and it made Maryse feel warm inside. She couldn’t remember the last time Robert had looked at her with that level of pride and warmth. Maryse smiled at him, reaching out her hand across the table. Luke took it and she squeezed his fingers gently. 

“Thank you.”

Neither of them noticed Alec and Izzy grinning at each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Alec excused himself right before dessert; Magnus had gotten a last-minute evening appointment with a florist, and needed Alec’s input. Izzy called it a night not too long after, citing an early start the next morning as her excuse to leave her mother alone with Detective Garroway.

“They’re sweet kids,” Luke told Maryse as he held her coat out to help her into it.

Maryse smiled, putting her arms in and letting Luke gently drape it over her shoulders. “They’re the best things that have ever happened to me.”

“If it had been my kids trying to set us up, it would have been an unmitigated disaster,” Luke chuckled. 

“I’m sure that’s not true…”

“You haven’t met Simon and Clary.” 

Maryse giggled. “They may be troublemakers, but your voice gets soft when you talk about them. You adore them.”

“Of course I do,” Luke answered, smiling wryly, “doesn’t mean they don’t drive me up the wall.” He laughed softly, holding out his hand for Maryse to take as they turned to leave the restaurant. Her stomach swooping, Maryse put her fingers between his, her thumb brushing over the back of his hand. 

“So… Are you glad that your date stood you up?” Maryse asked tentatively, tilting her head to the side.

Luke smirked. “Absolutely. I was dreading it. Simon decided that my flirtation with you meant that I was ready to go on a blind date with the woman who cuts his hair.”

“Your flirtation with me?” Maryse laughed, “is that what it was?” 

“I was on duty,” Luke reminded her, “I couldn’t really put the moves on you, you were the victim of a crime.”

Maryse hummed. “True.” Feeling bold, she bumped him with her hip as they walked down the sidewalk. “So what are these moves?”

“You want my moves?” Luke teased, and Maryse shrugged, her eyes crinkling in suppressed laughter. 

“Maybe.”

Luke glanced sideways at her, a faint smile on his face. “Alright, let me show you my moves.”

Maryse couldn’t hold back her giggles as Luke picked up speed, tugging her towards the subway. He bought them a couple of day passes, and Maryse tried to keep track of which train they were heading towards, but she wasn’t familiar with the subway system. She decided to put her trust in Luke, blushing when he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. 

“Any hints about where we’re going?” She asked as the train started to move, the two of them sat close together. 

“You’ll be glad you brought a coat,” Luke told her. 

They took the train all the way to Brooklyn, and Maryse got more and more curious with every step. They were headed towards the water, Maryse knew that much, but when they got close to a block of new apartments, Luke stopped dead, his eyes wide. 

“What is it?” Maryse asked, looking between Luke and the tall building. 

“That was my move,” Luke muttered, his eyebrows furrowing. “There used to be a bank right there, with a bench. It looked out over the water, and there was a lady who sold flowers on the corner.”

Maryse leaned into his side. “I guess it’s been a while since you had to use your moves.”

“Twelve years,” Luke murmured, huffing out a laugh. “Just goes to show how rusty I am, huh.”

“Not as rusty as you think,” Maryse assured him, swivelling so that they were facing each other. “I don’t know what it is about you, but… I haven’t done anything spontaneous in… Longer than I care to admit. Getting the train all the way to Brooklyn this late? Letting a man I barely know cart me up and down the city? And loving every second? It’s not like me at all.”

“I disagree,” Luke shrugged, the hand that wasn’t holding Maryse’s resting on her waist. “I think you’re being more yourself right now than you have been in a very long time. And I know that because… I feel the same way.”

Maryse went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, uncaring that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk in the ass end of Brooklyn near midnight. He was so shocked that he didn’t reciprocate for a moment, and she tugged her hand free from his to wrap her arms around his neck when he melted into it. When they broke apart, both laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact though their faces were barely an inch apart. 

“The bench might be gone,” Maryse breathed, “but you still have moves, Detective Garroway.”

“Glad to hear it,” Luke laughed, eyes glittering with happiness.


End file.
